INBOUND STUDENTS

ACSC Commandant Welcomes Class of 2024

ACSC Class of 2024,

Congratulations on your selection to attend Air Command and Staff College! The faculty of this renowned institution works tirelessly to educate and develop commanders, staff officers, and airpower leaders who solve problems at the operational level of war. While here, you will engage in 10 months of professional military education designed around rigorous academics, and personal and professional developmental opportunities. This is a major career milestone that affords you the opportunity to grow as an officer and leader in the profession of arms. During your ACSC experience, you will be afforded the opportunity to strengthen your professional network, learn from our expert faculty, widen the aperture of your operational air and space dominance lens, and prepare for the near-term challenges ahead.

ACSC is also an opportunity for you to re-visit old friendships and make new ones.  We encourage you to take the initiative to engage in conversations with your ACSC classmates and fully immerse yourself with other career fields, nationalities, and walks of life. Your classmates will include the best officers from across the DoD and 60+ countries around the world, as well as civilian professionals from the DoD and other federal agencies. These service, joint, whole of government, and allies and partner nation relationships create a distinct operational advantage and promote interoperability.

The vast majority of ACSC graduates will depart Maxwell AFB for high-visibility staff assignments or command. Those jobs will require you to consume large volumes of information, think critically and creatively, and communicate thoughts to your boss both verbally and in writing. To that end, ACSC academics are unapologetically demanding. You will engage with material covering the theory of war, airpower history and application, international security, leadership, and joint planning while linking these to the contemporary security environment. The coursework will challenge you and is intended to prepare you for what lies ahead. The wisdom you gain here at ACSC will be essential in your upcoming assignments.

My staff and faculty are dedicated to preparing you to thrive in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment. To find out more about the academics, student life, inbound info, and the local community, please visit our website and look for the Academic Year 2024 (AY24) information at https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/ACSC/.

Matthew O. Berry, Colonel, USAF
Commandant

In-Processing

Current as of: 18 Jan 23

General Information

1. Have a current passing Air Force fitness assessment that will not expire prior to 1 September 2023.

2. Be in uniform when signing-in and ensure all uniforms are readily available to wear as required. Reference above "Uniforms" tab for further details.

3. Initial Student Cadre (ISC): The role of ISC is twofold: 1) fill critical student leadership positions and 2) act as the ADVON team for the main body of students. Students who hold these peer leadership positions are vital in establishing the culture, morale, and developmental opportunities for the class during the year. A call for volunteers was sent in February 2023. If you are interested in a position (as found on the “Student Roles” page at top of this page), please send an email to ACSC.STUS.OrgBox@us.af.mil.

4. Concentrations: Air Command and Staff College sponsors distinct concentration programs that explore operational and strategic challenges confronting the joint force in air, sea, land, space, and cyber. Students participating in these programs will benefit from elements of ACSC’s core curriculum while also receiving specialized instruction and professional development in their respective concentrations.  More info can be found here.

5. Early Reporting: Advance written permission must be obtained should early reporting be required (i.e. mandatory return from remote assignments).  Normal CONUS and OCONUS moves do not meet this intent.  Early reporting requests for personal convenience will not be approved.  If an early reporting request is approved, the following statement must be included on your orders: “Early reporting authorized. Written approval obtained from the student squadron commander at Air Command and Staff College.”

6. Reporting Dates: Reporting prior to the Report No Earlier than Date (RNETD) or after the Report No Later than Date (RNLTD) is NOT authorized without prior coordination through ACSC and final approval from HQ AFPC/DP2LWD. Personnel that report early without prior authorization will be charged leave until authorized reporting date and will not be reimbursed for excess lodging/per diem accrued due to early reporting. 

Reporting Information

1. Narrative-Only Promotion Recommendation Form (USAF Only): USAF students must have a N-O PRF completed by their losing unit prior to departing that unit.

2. Security Clearance: Clearance requirement is minimum of Secret; Top Secret/SSBI preferred.  Also, if you are currently filling an SCI billet, ask your SSO for a Transfer-in-Status to the AU/SSO (DSN 953-6715/3606 or Comm 334-953-6715) at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.  Finally, if your current investigation is within 60 days of the 6-year expiration date, you must begin the update process immediately through your current security manager.  Please note – T5 (New TS) investigations will NOT be submitted after arrival at ACSC.  Please contact ACSC security manager (DSN 493-2712/Comm 334-953-2712) with any security clearance questions.

3. Computer Requirements: Air University schools have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy and students will not be issued government laptops.  All students attending Air Command and Staff College are expected to bring their own personally-owned (not government-issued) device for access to course materials. 

4. Transcripts: Non-Air Force military and all civilian personnel need their official transcripts sent to the Air University (AU) Registrar’s Office. AU Registrar contact information: Email: au.admission@us.af.mil; service desk site: https://auservicedesk.af.edu; mail: Air University Registrar, AU/A3RR Registrar Services, 60 Shumacher Avenue, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112. If you have questions, please contact the ACSC Registrar Office at Comm: 334-953-9820 (DSN: 493).

5. Ancillary Training:  All students are expected to complete annual ancillary training requirements prior to arrival. DoD cyber awareness training must be completed prior to arrival at ACSC.

6. Miscellaneous:

Note 1: Students who graduate ACSC can earn a Masters of Military Operational Art and Science. Students who previously graduated from the ACSC Online Master’s Program have already been awarded a Masters of Operational Art and Science degree and will not earn a second degree. If not previously obtained, the OLMP graduate will receive IDE in-residence and JPME I credit.

*Please send all questions to the Student Squadron (STUS) team via email to the ACSC STUS Org Box E-Mail: ACSC.STUS.OrgBox@us.af.mil

Technology Requirements

US students attending ACSC must bring their own personal computing device. International Officers are not required to bring their own device, but they may bring a personal device if it meets the required criteria.  If necessary, international officers will be issued a US government computer for their use while a student at ACSC. Each user is responsible for the maintenance and repair of their own personal computing device. Government “loaner” laptops are available on a limited basis for temporary use if a student experiences a catastrophic computer failure. ACSC recommends against the use of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) from any outside agency, as these devices may experience compatibility issues that cannot be resolved. Personal computing devices must meet the following standards:

• Students may bring Windows-based or Mac devices. All devices must be running a fully licensed and activated version of the operating system. Additionally, all operating systems must have the latest security patches applied. 
• For Windows devices:  Windows 10 or higher
• ​For Mac devices: OS X 10.13.3 (High Sierra) or higher
•  

ACSC BYOD IT Checklist:

Enabling your computer to authenticate to DoD websites

Visit Public key Infrastructure/Enabling (PKI/PKE) to configure systems to access PKI-protected content.

• Select Windows and execute steps 1, 2*, 3, 4 
NOTE: Windows 10 & 11 users DO NOT need to execute step 2

AF Webmail Access

https://webmail.apps.mil/

Work Email: Required to check once weekly

Set up signature block in OWA 

• Once signed into OWA click on the setting’s “gear” icon in the upper right corner 
• Select Options from the drop-down menu 
• On the left-hand side under Mail>Layout>Email signature you will find a location for entering a signature block
• Check both boxes to include the signature on new and reply/forward messages
• Use the template below with your name. Add any other (Flight/Division Academic/ Athletic/IT Rep, MDOS, Fellow, etc.) on the line below ACSC Student

FIRST M. LAST, Maj, USAF

Student, ACSC AY21

(Additional titles)

• Finally click the “Save” icon and then click the “<-“ icon in the upper left to return to the main OWA screen. 

Obtaining a virtual NIPR terminal via Desktop Anywhere 

1. Desktop Anywhere is a service that allows users to access a virtual NIPR desktop from your personal computer. It works on both Mac and Windows computers. Desktop Anywhere provides access to the full suite of AFNet applications, allowing users to send and receive encrypted email, digitally sign documents, and access SharePoint and shared drive locations as if they were operating from a .mil computer. 
▪ On your personal computer, search for “Desktop Anywhere” on AF Portal (or go to the link below):

 https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af/USAF/content/ZAHkU

▪ Open and follow the instructions located in the “Attachments” column on the right side of the page for your system (Windows or Mac).

Uniform Requirements

1. U.S. Military Students: Bring all duty uniforms with you to ACSC

2. The primary duty uniform at Maxwell AFB is the OCP uniform (or equivalent) and/or flight suit. International Officers should bring a complete set of their country's equivalent of the camouflage fatigue/utility uniform (i.e. OCP), and a service dress uniform (coat, tie and hat)

3. Civilians are expected to comply with reasonable dress and grooming standards based on comfort, productivity, health, safety and type of position occupied. Jeans are not authorized.

Preparing For ACSC

Reading and writing at a professional collegiate level will be a change for some of you.  If this is the case, do not be alarmed, you are NOT alone!  There are plenty of resources available at Air University to assist you in your academic/professional development. 

Here’s some suggested reading for those who have not been in an academic setting in quite sometime. 

Visit the AU Teaching and Learning Center